Customer Reviews

Gap Band 4

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's not much that I can add to all the glowing reviews below but I have to say that back in the day, these were the dudes, for real. Alongside other real bands like Cameo, Kool & The Gang, The Brothers Johnson, Brass Construction & Skyy (just to name a couple), the Gap Band made sure we kept dancing back in the late 70s and early 80s. Lead singer Charlie Wilson, himself clearly influenced by soul legends that had preceded him, was a huge influence on many great singers that were yet to come; people like Keith Sweat, R. Kelly, Joe and all those who have followed on from them. All these guys have had huge success with Charlie's style though not one of them was as good as the original, in my opinion. That was clear to anyone who had ears when Charlie appeared alongside Justin Timberlake on the recent Snoop Dogg single "Signs", even though his performance is often not even credited.

This 1982 monster was full of the good stuff. "Early In The Morning" (with that iconic crowing cockerel intro and its wild guitar solo) was one of my favourite tunes ever and still is. "Outstanding" is a classic that surely needs no introduction and as for "You Dropped A Bomb On Me", boy... I wonder if anyone would find it possible to resist this kind of music even now?

But their mid-tempo ballads were equally magnificent. "Seasons No Reason To Change", with its brilliant piano-led intrumental outro & "Stay With Me", are both heartfelt and incredibly soulful. I also really love the flugelhorn-driven "I Can't Get Over You".

The album was produced by Lonnie Simmonds and I feel a need to reiterate the fact that this trio of brothers were a proper band, playing live instruments - something that hardly exists anymore. They had a group of other musicians behind them, playing keyboards, synthesizers, bass, drums, percussion, horns and guitar but Charlie didn't just sing; he also played keyboards, synthesizer, mini-moog and percussion. Robert played the bass, lead guitar and percussion and Ronnie played keyboards, flugelhorn, synthesizer and percussion.

I'm glad to finally get this on CD. My sad vinyl version is scratched beyond redemption and I've been looking for this for years. Oh, how I miss the good old days!

After Gap Band III, I didn't think The Gap Band could get no better. But damn!!!! they just came out of nowhere and knocked out all competition that were dropping albums around the time this one dropped. I remember hearing that rooster crow for the first time on Early In The Morning and the bass just dropped. And I was like, these boys ain't playing. And how can I forget about Outstanding. Just like Yearning For Your Love, this track was classy and funky at the same time. And I thought Lonely Like Me was an overlooked classic jam. Go get you a copy so you can reminisce.

What can I say about this album? It's the one that gained the gappers Mainstream Popularity & Mass Critical Acclaim. Words can't describe how much Musical Ingenuity the Gap Band Mastered. These Guyz were more than just a group;They were the Epitome of Soul & Funk Music. They always carried the Torch for Funk back in the day & kept The Funk Alive when many people thought Funk had fell off & was dead. The Gappers still reign as the Icons of that genre. Anyways about Gap Band IV,I can sum it up in so many words: sensational,superb,stunning....The list goes on & on. But let's get straight to the point,this album contains some of their biggest hits. It includes "Early In The Morning" with its outlandish,Synth basslines,The Exquisite Slow Jam Stunner,"Stay With Me",The Mesmerizing,Multi-Faceted Musical Masterpiece known as "Outstanding"(a dance groove & a slow jam rolled into one) & of course the boomin' & bombastic Monster Funk of "You Dropped a Bomb On Me". Also "Season's No Reason To Change" is another great R&B Ballad that emulates nothing but Pure Soul. Charlie Wilson's Voice is Rich,Textured & Emotive throughout the entire disc. And man What a Gift these Brothers have for melodies & songwriting. They really know how to compose a song that leaves a lasting impression on the listener. Don't sleep on the lesser known tracks on this disc. "Lonely Like Me","I Can't Get Over You" & the Almighty Groove of "Talkin' Back" keep the Jamz Commin' and hold their own amongst all the Mega Hits here. Bottom Line: The Gap Band's songs are Soulful & Sharp-Witted and their Musicianship is the Tightest,so pick up this album & all their others too.

No doubt about it, George Clinton and his Parliafunkadelicament Thang are responsible for creating some of the funkiest sounds on earth. In the '70s nobody could touch them, not even the more pop-friendly Ohio Players. But when Clinton's congregation began splintering in the 1980s, the only likely contenders to the funky throne were three brothers from Oklahoma: the Wilsons, better known as the Gap Band. They released their first album in 1977, at the height of Clinton-mania, so naturally it got lost in the shuffle. By their second album, they had established themselves with hits like "Steppin' Out", "Oops, Upside Your Head" and "Burn Rubber". The latter was their first #1 R&B hit, proving their superstar status throughout the R&B world. Their fourth album, appropriately titled THE GAP BAND IV, turned out to be the biggest one yet. This time, they won 3 #1 hits, all funky dance epics: "Early In The Morning" (later a top 20 pop hit for Robert Palmer), "Outstanding" (I dare you not to start swaying at the song's outset), and "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" (the most Clinton-esque song of the bunch). All three have been sampled to death by rappers, but there's no beating the real things, except for maybe Palmer's version of "Early In The Morning", which the Gap Band actually prefers over their own. While George Clinton emphasized the funk, the Wilson brothers (Ronnie, Charlie, and Robert) had a romantic streak in them as well. "Yearning for Your Love" was a delightful change of pace for them on their third album, and proved to the world they were no Parliament-Funkadelic knockoffs. THE GAP BAND IV has its share of slow jams that, inspite of their non-hit status, are still standards of "Midnight Love" shows on R&B radio. "Stay With Me", "Season's No Reason To Change" and "I Can't Get Over You" (which has a moving horn solo by Ronnie Wilson) are ideal songs to get your partner in a loving mood, and if you ever want your lover to come back to you, these tunes should be able to do the trick. With IV, The Gap Band reached the pinnacle of R&B stardom. After this, they wouldn't exactly go down, but they never reached heights like this again. FUNKIN' 'TIL 2000 COMZ is said to still prove that the Wilson brothers can funk up a storm into their golden years. I'd welcome any suggestions for that album, because if it's as flawlessly wonderful as IV, I'll be happy to listen to that one as well.

what can you say about this album? it plays like a greatest hits album.the songs are some of the funkiest jams ever.lonely like me is a cult favorite.outstanding has been sampled so many times.just like charlie wilson's voice.so many imitators.if you love grooves then this is for you.

This CD has all the greatest hits. Even has two great jams Can't get Over You (hard to find), Seasons No Reason to Change, and more. This is definitely a MUST HAVE FOR THE COLLECTION.

I bought this cd beacause I kept hearing the song "Outstanding" on the radio and wanted to get the cd. This cd is what you call real music compared to some of the music on the radio today..Awesome cd

Also, since becoming a member/customer of Amazon, I have been quite happy with all of my purchases and the sellers. BIG THANKS!

AFTER THE GAP BAND 111 THEY WERE STILL KICKING #@ IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES EARLY IN THE MORNING WAS TIGHT SO FUNKY WITH A BLEND OF STEVIE WONDER IN CHARLIE"S VOICE LONELY LIKE ME WAS A REMINDER OF ME ALWAYS BEING ALONE IN LOVE TRYING TO FIND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE IT"S CONSERVATIVE R&B WITH A COUNTRY BEAT SOMETHING THAT STEVIE WONDER COULD HAVE SUNG .OUTSTANDING WHAT CAN I SAY SIMPLY OUTSTANDING. YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME WAS THEIR SIGNATURE HIT BUT THE 12 VERSION IS SO MUCH HOTTER. I CANT CANT GET OVER YOU WAS TOUCHING BALLAD YET SOUNDING LIKE STEVIE WONDER . TALKIN BACK WAS IN MY OPINION A FOLLOW UP TO GASH GASH GASH JUST SILLY FUNK TALK TO JAM TO A SWEAT TO LOOOOOVVVVEEEE IT!

With their previous two albums The Gap Band were moving more and more towards becomming what I call a "number one funk" type of band,basically mainstays on the R&B but more than capable of delivering Top 10-20 pop hits. In terms of their popular success this album is likely their most successfull overall and landed more pop hits than any other Gap Band album. Of course the reason most would likely be inclined towards this album is because of three musically potent smashes-"Early In The Morning","You Dropped A Bomb On Me" and the more restrained sophistifunk of "Outstanding". The thing that surprised in my first listening to this is how much the rest of this album is geared toward poppy numbers such as the ballad "Seasons No Reason To Change" and two soulful...almost soft rock style tunes such as "Lonely Like Me" and "Stay With Me"-both sound like a cross between Steve Winwood and Seals & Croft as done by an R&B group and were a but surprising considering how soulful and funky I usually think of the Wilson brothers as.

"I Can't Get Over You" is a more midtempo R&B ballad with a great flugelhorn solo and the album concludes with the witty return to the P-Funk based style in "Talkin' Back". For those going into the album expecting something based on the proto Southern bass hip-hop funk grooves of the albums two main hits mentioned earlier,as actually I did will be surprised how slick,glossy and softer the rest of this album is. It's a more mature effort for them,not that any of their previous releases were childish or uneven by any means. But there's a certain type of polish here that found them in something of a transition between their rougher 70's edges that they generally continued on the previous album. It's still a very good album for them but should definately not be defined by it's hits and I want to repeat that again. It's a mistake I made and since my personal tastes have grown since I first reviewed this release....well in the end if you want to get this only for the hits it might be better to get them on a best of compilation (and there are plenty) because this album isn't geared for those who desire to hear endless funk grooves.